1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved device for increasing the airflow into enclosed spaces equipped with small openings. Such conditions are most frequently found in the cabins or hulls of small craft where the only ventilating opening is a small hatch or a porthole. Similar limited ventilating conditions may be found on land vehicles such as truck mounted campers and other recreational vehicles and in various sheds, test equipment enclosures and the like.
Various types of wind-scoops or ventilators have heretofore been designed for use in marine vessels. Some are permanent and hence expensive or impractical for small craft. Of the portable or collapsible types, most require some kind of overhead attachment and are therefore impractical for small motor launches or land vehicles where a superstructure is not available.
The current invention overcomes the prior limitations by being totally attachable to the opening itself whether a hatch on deck or a porthole on the side of a vessel or it may likewise be attached to an opening of a recreational vehicle or other enclosure which has limited ventilation openings as designed.
A further advantage of the current invention is that it is readily portable and may be collapsed into a small size like an ordinary household umbrella for easy storage aboard a marine vessel or elsewhere. Previous collapsible design such as described by Childs in U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,740 requires a substantial space for storage, and does not allow for closing the hatch while installed and must be specifically sized for each hatch opening. A collapsible design described by Bliemister in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,271 has other limitations in that it cannot be readily mounted in varying directions with respect to the hatch opening and is therefore limited in use depending on wind or vessel direction.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of prior design, and it provides a ventilating means which is more flexible in use, more economical to build, and more adaptable to variety of openings and may be used in both watercraft as well as land vehicles such as recreational vehicles or in fixed containment enclosures, anywhere where enhanced airflow may improve ventilation from existing openings.